Published on: 2026-05-20
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In 2025, in armed conflicts worldwide, approximately one civilian died every 14 minutes. These data were presented by the representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Edem Wosornu, speaking at an open meeting of the Security Council on behalf of Deputy Secretary-General Tom Fletcher. The UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday was dedicated to the protection of civilians during conflicts.
According to Vosorn, the discussion is only about officially confirmed cases by the UN of the deaths of civilians in about 20 armed conflicts.
“Very often peaceful residents become not just ‘collateral’ victims, but the direct target of attacks,” she emphasized.
The UN representative noted that residents of conflict zones have died in their homes, at markets, in schools, at work, on roads, and while attempting to escape combat actions. At the same time, explosive weapons continue to destroy life support systems – power grids, water supply facilities, and hospitals.
Hospitals under attack
According to Vosorn, ten years after the Security Council adoptedResolution 2286about the protection of health damage in conflict conditions the situation only worsened.
In 2025, the UN recorded more than 1350 attacks on medical institutions and personnel within 18 conflicts. Hospitals and ambulances were hit, and medics became victims of murders, intimidation, and criminal prosecution.
Hunger as a weapon of war
According to the UN data, last year 147 million people faced acute food insecurity, mainlyrelated to conflicts. Two cases of mass starvation were officially confirmed. As emphasized by the UKGB representative, the cause was not the lack of food products, but the methods of waging war.
“Food has become a weapon of war,” she said.
Violence against women and children
The UN also continues to record large-scale sexual violence in conflict situations. In 2025, more than 9,300 such cases were officially registered, the overwhelming majority of victims being women and girls. The actual number of victims, according to the Organization, is significantly higher.
According to Vosorn, children continue to be searched for and recruited by armed groups. Many die or are injured due to the use of explosives in densely populated areas.
In addition, information and communication technologies and social networks are used for searching, blackmailing, and recruiting children.
Journalists and humanitarian workers
According to UNESCO data, in the period from 2022 to 2025, 186 journalists were killed while covering wars and conflicts – this is 67 percent more than in the period 2018–2021.
Attacks continueon humanitarian workers. Since the previous briefing on this topic at the Security Council last month, Vosorny noted, new cases of deaths of humanitarian organization staff have been confirmed. In 2026, already 144 humanitarian workers have been killed, wounded, missing, or detained while performing their duties.
Drones and artificial intelligence
Vosorn warned that new technologies make wars even more destructive. According to her, the use of artificial intelligence and drones makes episodes of violence more frequent and increases their scale, especially in densely populated areas.Use of dronesThe conflict has grown by 4000 percent in the period from 2020 to 2024.
“The consequences are not only physical, but also psychological in nature – a constant pain and a constant feeling of instability,” said the UKGB representative, emphasizing that the situation particularly affects children.
“There is another way”
Vosorn stated that the incident is not inevitable.
“These trends are the result of a choice,” she emphasized, pointing to the decisions of the parties to the conflict to ignore international humanitarian law, allow impunity, and prioritize military objectives over the protection of the civilian population.
“My message to this Council and the members of the UN is simple: there is another way,” Vosorn declared.
She called on states to observe the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, to refrain from using explosive weapons in populated areas, to stop arms deliveries in situations where there is a risk of their use against civilians, and to protect medical personnel, humanitarian workers, and journalists.
“Protection of civilians during armed conflicts is not a charity. It is the minimum requirement of humanity and civilization. It is the foundation of peace and security. It is the responsibility of the Security Council and every state that has signed the UN Charter,” Vosornu stated.
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